The Motivation Mystery
by Mawaru Arashi
Summary: Just a normal day in Konohagakure... Or maybe it's not that normal today... Shikamaru is - well, different.


Arashi: Well, hallo there. So you somehow managed to stumble across my first Naruto fanfic. It's difficult to rate things when you've done them yourself, therefor I'd love to get your comments. Just two things: English is (Alas!) not my mother-tongue. If my writing is weird please tell me so I can improve! And I don't own Naruto. But I'm saving money, so maybe one day... far away in the future... *starts dreaming away* AND NOW IT'S TIME TO GET THINGS STARTED!!!  
  
The Motivation Mystery  
  
It was a morning like every morning in the Hidden Leaf Village... The bright Konoha sun was shining, the birds were either singing or delivering secret messages to some ninjas and Asuma walked along the streets, sighing at the mere thought of having to deal with his students again. Lately team work was bad. Really bad. Even worse than team seven's. And team seven was hard to beat cosidering bad team work.  
  
Lighting up another cigarette the large man walked towards "Kori-Corner" the ice-cream palace where they usually met - thus ensuring Choji wouldn't starve while waiting. He sighed again. It would be just the same as always: Chouji, eating at least three ice-cream wafers at once, Ino complaining about why on earth she had to spend her time with two nerds while that airstrip of a forehead could steal away her precioussssss Sasuke-kun, and Shikamaru looking bored as always, not even complaining cause complaining would mean moving his mouth and frame sentences which was definitely way too troublesome.  
  
But today was different. No survival training, no studying of the most secret documents, no life-threatening combat could have prepared Asuma for what he had to face when he stood infront of his subordinates.  
  
His eyes went large and the just lit cigarette fell out of his mouth.  
  
Ino and Chouji were clasping each other, their backs pressed against the wall of "Kori-Corner". Their eyes were widened in shock, Ino's face was paler than Orochimaru's and Chouji was shaking like a leaf.  
  
Shikamaru stood in front of them, better said he was jumping up and down fidgeting and constantly babbling, waving his hands up and down eagerly. Then he saw Asuma in the corner of his eye.  
  
"Yaaaaaaaayyyy! Now if this isn't our sensei, ne Ino, Chouji, look who has just arrived, we're soon start a new amaaaaazing mission!!! Whoa, Asuma- sensei you lost your cigarette! Ne,nenene, Asuma-sensei, what are we gonna do today? Huh? Search for a cat? Weeding weeds? Clean the river? Ne? NeneneNENENENE????", Shikamaru chattered within seconds.  
  
"He's acting like this since he arrived, Sensei!", Ino whispered terrified.  
  
"And we already verified it's him. No Henge. No Genjutsu...", Chouji added, his gaze fixed at his so unusually agitated best friend.  
  
"Genjutsu? Genjutsu is great! I can show you some! But hey wait, I'm much better at Ninjutsu! Shall I do the Kagemane No Jutsu? Shall I? Shall I? Shall I? Or maybe something else! Ino, what would you like to see? Being honest, I always wanted to show you some special moves...", Shikamaru snickered winking at the girl, "and I will prove that I'm much better than Sasuke! Mwahaharr!!! The Nara clan rules! Anyway, Ino-"  
  
"MAKE HIM STOP, ASUMA-SENSEI!!!! ONEGAI!!!!!", Ino screamed.  
  
Asuma who had finally managed to recollect himself grabbed Shikamaru, shaking him. "What the jigoku is wrong with you???", Asuma yelled searching for any signs of evil jutsus Shikamaru might have been afflicted with.  
  
"HE MUST BE OBSESSED WITH AN EVIL DEMON!", Ino shrieked.  
  
"Now be quiet! EVERYONE!", Asuma demanded, "especially you, Shikamaru! Calm down!"  
  
But it was futile. Shikamaru wouldn't stop. Far from it! Asuma frowned and asked himself what he might have done in his former life to be punished with such a situation....  
  
  
  
Meanwhile on a rooftop nearby, well-hidden in the shadows, two silent silhouttes were watching the whole situation. Just when down at the "Kori- Corner" Shikamaru started a happy dance around his sensei, the smaller man looked up at his mentor.  
  
"So? I think I win.", he stated smiling.  
  
"Oh, you haven't seen my prank yet, Kabuto-kun", the sinister Snake-Sannin whispered.  
  
"Hmmm?", Kabuto pushed up his glasses, "what could possibly beat my idea of secretly injecting Shikamaru a dose of caffeine that would wake up the dead?"  
  
Orochimaru smirked. "I secretly put some cat's odor on Kiba."  
  
Kabuto froze. "Man, you're evil..." 


End file.
